Inspiring Conversations, LLC

In these highly competitive times, it is necessary to stock our sales force with the very best performers—the all-stars. The creation of a world-class sales force is not only desired, but necessary for long-term prosperity. Replacing one salesperson could cost your organization between 1.5 to 5 times the fully-loaded salary of that individual!

Wanting to create a world-class sales team that stays the course, what should you be looking for? Should you hire salespeople that have been to every sales training program ever offered to man? Might it be people who have set records at all 10 stops along their career path? Could it be people with impressive resumes? Would you only hire the smooth talkers? Good looking people? Those hot-shots with fancy cars? Should you only hire people with knowledge of your industry?

I have seen many sales managers hire new salespeople based on their industry knowledge only to have these new recruits fail miserably. These "recycled" salespeople are known for representing numerous other firms in the industry, not for setting and reaching their sales goals (and other important goals that would benefit them). Their pre-conceived ideas about your company's products and/or services will be hard to change. Remember, they've been selling against you for years! Finding people with industry knowledge is not necessarily the answer! Remember, industry and product knowledge can be learned.

How many sales managers sift through hundreds of resumes to find the few candidates that "look" good? How can anyone know about a person's character from a resume? The only way to begin to understand another is via a face to face meeting. Step up to the plate and visit with as many candidates as possible. Use the resume as a starting point for your evaluation only. It has been found that there are substantial misrepresentations on over 75% of all resumes!

How about the sales managers who hire those who have been to all of the latest sales training classes—those who can recite the seven steps of the sales process backwards and forwards in their sleep? These life-long "learners" might be living with the belief that "knowledge is power". Successful salespeople know that "applied" knowledge is power! How many of those that sat through sales training apply the great techniques presented? How many change their sales habits or do anything differently? How many increase their sales totals on a regular basis just by attending sales seminars? Of course the answer is very few and in fact many simply get confused by the new sales process of the month! This is obviously not the answer!

The only answer that will work in every situation is to find people with amazing attitudes! Yes, the ones who have a smile on their face—all of the time. The ones who have learned to overcome adversity and succeed, not only in sales, but in life. The people that get along with others and make friends easily. The all-stars who have succeeded in life by creating short and long-range goals and plan to accomplish them through self-motivation.

Where can you find such people? They are everywhere—you just need to uncover them. It is imperative that those in need of good salespeople need to be involved in their communities, knowing as many successful individuals as possible. Join networking groups, letting everyone know that you are always on the lookout for those with great attitude. You may be surprised where you meet your next world-class salesperson—it could be the waiter in your favorite restaurant that is looking for a career change! Constantly being in recruiting mode is a necessity.

How do you know if someone has a great attitude? What impresses you about others? That warm, inviting smile is a start. Those that view the glass as half-full, maintaining a positive outlook will carry a sincere smile. People that you find easy to converse with and are open to deep discussion will be more apt to create long relationships with customers. Those that have the courage to ask questions will be able to uncover the needs and wants of your client base. People skills are critical to success in sales, much more so than knowledge of your product and industry.

Another place to look for your next superstar salesperson is in one who has overcome adversity. We learn much more from failure than we do from success. In your conversations with candidates, ask them about the toughest situations that they've encountered and how they responded. You will pick-up many clues as to how they handle and overcome problems.

Last, but certainly not least, is finding salespeople that speak in terms of goal-setting and goal accomplishment. This is an underrated art that allows world-class performers to shine in any endeavor. Find out about candidates dreams and aspirations and ask about their plans to get there. If they can outline their game plan to realize their dreams, you have a winner and great salesperson!

– Reprint permission granted by Alan Kovitz, Founding Partner, Elevations Unlimited, LLC. alan@elevationsunlimited.us

By Susan Nielsen

In any discussion of leadership, it is inevitable that we find ourselves thinking in terms of formal leadership. We tend to think of leadership in terms of rank or position. However, formal leadership is the outgrowth of your ability to master the art of self-leadership.

Self-leadership is "the ability to establish a specific direction for your own life, and to proceed in that direction with the self-confidence that comes only to one who knows where he or she is going." Becoming a leader means becoming you. It's that simple—and that difficult. It begins with figuring out who you are and what gives your life value and meaning.

Valueship is focusing on doing the right things and understanding who you are, who you want to become, what skills you want to develop, and what you want to accomplish. When you identify your goals and values on a personal level, they are genuine and authentic. When you identify leadership on a personal level, you develop the authenticity to required to become a formal leader.

According to Winston Churchill, "The key to a leader's impact is sincerity. Before he can inspire with emotion, he must be swayed by it himself. Before he can move their tears, his own must flow. To convince them, he must himself believe."

Effective leadership consists of more than just an intellectual understanding of leadership characteristics. The characteristics and skills must be incorporated into your style. They must be consistent with your beliefs and values, and part of your actions and decisions. Leadership qualities stem from internal attitudes and learned skills, not outside situations. We think and perform exactly like the type of person we visualize ourselves to be, and the people we lead think and perform up to our expectations of them.

Leadership of others begins with leadership of self. Until you identify leadership on a personal level, you can never truly become an effective leader in an organization. Organizational success begins with personal success.

– Copyright protected worldwide. Susan Nielsen. (888) 850-2206 Ext 701

Making a consistent small investment in people can reproduce itself to create an outstanding return.
— Scott Johnson, composer

A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.
— Mark Twain

When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.